Farewell to James Bay

By Anne Moon

This is a thank you to James Bay and the people and creatures who live or work here.

For 17 years I have been a happy resident of James Bay but now it is time to leave. High rents mean I am retreating to the city centre. No more ocean views, no more feeding barley to the ducks or anxiously counting Beacon Hill Park's fledgling herons.

The attractiveness of this community is driving out people of lower incomes.
Sure, I'm a life member of the James Bay New Horizons, but I won't be popping over to the James Bay Community School for the delicious and affordable community suppers any more. Nor will I be lingering in Kim's James Bay Coffee and Books or sipping coffee at Pharmasave's seniors savings day (first Wednesday of the month, folks). I won't be watching the children and dogs scamper through Irving Park, slipping down to the market on Saturday for delicious produce and sometimes rather strange music. What, no more samosas from the hardworking International Women's Catering Co-op?

Talking of Co-ops, I helped start the Car Share Co-op, right here in James Bay. I believe it was the second in the country. And I will still belong to the Community Health Co-op.

But now I'll be a bus ride away from the Royal BC Museum and the Legislature. My attendance at the wonderful Victoria Athletic Club in the Grand Pacific Hotel will be more sporadic. I'll have to take a bus to the Symphony Splash!

And I'll miss the Coho's farewell bleat as she slips out of her berth. But I won't miss the horse-drawn carriages, the erratic drivers at the Five Corners, the dogs that bark seemingly non-stop across the road or the loudspeaker announcements from the cruise ships and their midnight whistle blasts. Nor will I miss the constant wind, which often drove me from my sunny balcony: I'll have a sheltered perch in my new apartment. I'll miss being in the centre of Emily Carr territory-her houses, her death place, her former cow yard. I always loved giving befuddled tourists a mini-lesson about the significance of Our Emily. I'll miss the good old boys meeting each morning at the Thrifty's bench, the sunbathing blonde of uncertain years who adorns the bus stop bench near Irving Park most summer days, the cigarette-smoking duo who occupy the bench outside Beckley Farm Lodge, the woman who sells Street Newz. I'll miss the James Bay United Church thrift shop, the conkers that rain on Michigan Street, the big fat pink blossoms on Menzies, the secret gardens of Marifield Park. And how about the people-the doughty Elsa and Iris, with their walkers emblazoned with Limited Vision signs, the tireless volunteers at New Horizons, the always helpful staff at Thrifty's and Pharmasave, the cheerful clerks at the Coast Capital Credit Union, the expert passport photographer at Profiles who could make King Kong look good? I'll miss the clandestine swims at Roberts House, the mini library at the James Bay Community Project, the fantastically painted house opposite the James Bay Inn, the beauty of Avalon street and its little pocket park, the occasional yells from the soccer field, the disco music from Pride Day, the dogs--even the barking ones, the occasional cat, the eggs benny at Heron Rock, the eggs benny at Cup of Joe, the Singapore noodles at James Bay fish and chips. I'll miss the James Bay Beacon...especially its Peekin' at the Beacon feature, where I "starred" on three different continents. And oh, how I will miss the ocean-its changing moods and colours. I'll miss the growl of the float planes, the thrum of the helicopters and especially the view of the snow-capped Olympics and the mauve- tinged Sooke Hills, all visible from my fourth floor windows. I'll be in a different hustle and bustle now, have to navigate new grocery stores, make new friends, greet new neighbours. It's been a glorious 17 years. Thanks, James Bay!

Anne Moon first lived on Heather Street, then Simcoe Street, after moving from Toronto in 1995. She has been an occasional contributor to the Beacon.